JP3123577B2 - Tape printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape printer having a function of registering document data and the like as a file.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 185050, the present applicant has put into practical use a tape printer capable of printing characters and symbols on a tape as a print medium. This is suitable for creating a tape with a file name printed on the spine of the file. Some tape printers have a function of registering document data and the like as a file. In this type of tape printer, printing the contents of a file is performed by a process for printing ordinary document data. In order to use the file as it is, the content of the file memory is once read out to the editing buffer, and can only be read after the normal input state (editing mode). Therefore, even if a print key is input during file search to select at least one file from a plurality of files in the file memory or to confirm a document of the selected file, an error occurs and the contents of the file are printed. Could not.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional tape printing apparatus, when the contents of the file memory are read out to the editing buffer, the document data and the like input to the editing buffer at that time are erased. Therefore, in order to continue the editing work even after reading the file, it is necessary to register the edited document in a file and then call the file. Also, when printing multiple registered files in succession, the file could only be printed after the file was called into the editing buffer. And the operation was troublesome.

An object of the present invention is to enable printing without erasing the contents of an editing buffer when printing the contents of a file, and to print the contents of a file even when searching for a file before a file reading operation is completed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tape printer capable of reducing the number of operations for continuously printing a plurality of files.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape printing apparatus including an input unit for inputting data of characters and symbols and various commands, and an editing unit for storing data of a document being input or edited. Buffer, a display means for displaying a document stored in the editing buffer, and a printing means for printing characters and symbols on a tape as a printing medium, the tape printing device, and stored in the editing buffer A file memory for storing a plurality of files consisting of document data and print format data input in association therewith, and at least one file selected from a plurality of files in the file memory or a document of the selected file. When a print command is input from the input means during the file search to be confirmed, the data of the file being searched is stored in the file memory. It is obtained by a printing reading means for printing on printing means directly read.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the tape printer, the reading means for printing comprises a search buffer capable of storing data of a plurality of files read from the file memory.

[0007]

In the tape printer according to the first aspect,
When a print command is issued from the input unit during file selection in the process of file registration, file call, and file deletion, or during so-called file search during file content confirmation to check the document of the selected file, read-out means for printing Reads the contents of the file directly from the file memory, not from the editing buffer. Then, the contents of the file can be printed without erasing the contents of the editing buffer. In addition, since the contents of a file can be printed by a print command at the time of file search, when printing a plurality of files continuously, there is no need to perform printing after completing the file call operation each time.
Printing can be executed while searching for files, and the number of operations is reduced.

Further, in the tape printing apparatus according to the second aspect, when a file is searched, a plurality of file contents are written in a search buffer different from the editing buffer, so that a plurality of file contents are issued by one printing command. File contents can be printed at one time, making the operation even easier.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The tape printer 1 of the present embodiment prints a large number of characters such as characters and symbols on a printing tape (tape as a printing medium), and as shown in FIG. A keyboard 3 is provided, a printing mechanism 4 is provided in the body frame 2 behind the keyboard 3, and a liquid crystal display 5 capable of displaying characters and symbols is provided behind the keyboard 3. The keyboard 3 has a character key for inputting alphabets, numbers and symbols, a space key, a line feed key for a line feed command,
A file key for searching files, a selection key for selecting a predetermined file during file search, a cursor moving key for moving the cursor right or left, a printing key for executing printing, and a power key for turning on / off the power. A power key and the like are provided.

Next, a brief description will be given of the printing mechanism 4 with reference to FIG. 3. A rectangular tape storage cassette 6 is detachably mounted on the printing mechanism 4, and the tape storage cassette 6 has a transparent tape storage cassette. A tape spool 8 on which a printing tape 7 having a width of about 24 mm made of film is wound, a ribbon supply spool 10 on which an ink ribbon 9 is wound, a winding spool 11 for winding the ink ribbon 9, and a printing spool A supply spool 13 in which a double-sided tape 12 having the same width as the tape 7 is wound with the release paper outside, and a joining roller 1 for joining the printing tape 7 and the double-sided tape 12
4 are provided rotatably.

At a position where the printing tape 7 and the ink ribbon 9 overlap with each other, a thermal head 15 is erected, and the printing tape 7 and the ink ribbon 9 are attached to the thermal head 15.
And a feed roller 17 for pressing the printing tape 7 and the double-sided tape 12 against the joining roller 14 are rotatably supported by a support 18. The thermal head 15 has 128 vertically arranged rows.
A heating element group including a plurality of heating elements is provided.

Accordingly, when the tape feed motor 24 (see FIG. 4) is driven in a predetermined rotation direction, the joining roller 14 and the take-up spool 11 are energized to the heating element group while being driven in synchronization with each other in the predetermined rotation direction. Then, characters are printed on the printing tape 7 by a plurality of dot rows, and the printing tape 7 is fed in the tape feeding direction A with the double-sided tape 12 joined. For details of the printing mechanism 4, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-106555.

Next, the control system of the tape printer 1 is shown in FIG.
Is configured as shown in the block diagram of FIG. That is, in this control system, a keyboard 3, a drive circuit 21 for a warning buzzer 20, a display controller (LCDC) 23 having a display RAM for outputting display data to a liquid crystal display (LCD) 5, Thermal head 1
5, a drive circuit 25 for driving the motor 5, and a tape feed motor 2
4 is connected to an input / output interface 27 of the control device C. The control device C includes a CPU 29, an input / output interface 27 connected to the CPU 29 via a bus 28 such as a data bus, a CGROM 30, ROMs 31 and 32, and a RAM.
40.

CGROM (pattern data memory) 30
Stores dot pattern data for display in association with code data for each of a large number of characters. In a ROM (outline data memory) 31, outline data (outline data) for defining the outline of the character for each of a large number of characters in order to print the character is a typeface (Gothic typeface, Mincho typeface, etc.). Each code is classified and stored in association with the code data. It should be noted that each of these multiple outline data stores a vertical dimension and a horizontal dimension of the print image.

The ROM 32 includes a display drive control program for controlling the display controller 23 in correspondence with character code data such as characters, numbers, and symbols input from the keyboard 3, and an editing buffer 41 and a search buffer 43. An image development processing control program that converts outline data corresponding to code data into dot pattern data for printing and develops the data in the print buffer 44, sequentially reads data in the print buffer 44, and drives the thermal head 15 and the tape feed motor 24. A print drive control program to be executed, a control program for tape print control described later, which is unique to the present application, and the like are stored.

The RAM 40 includes an editing buffer 41, a file memory 42, a search buffer 43, a print buffer 44, a flag memory 45, and the like. The editing buffer 41 stores data of a document being input or edited. The file memory 42 has an editing buffer 41
And a plurality of files including print data such as character size, typeface, and modification designation input in association with the document data stored in the document. The file search buffer 43 has the same configuration as the editing buffer 41, and the buffer 43 stores a plurality of file data in the file memory 41.

In the flag memory 45, when flag data set (data is "1") during editing and options such as "register", "call", and "delete" are displayed during file search. Flag data set to "1" (data is "1"), flag data set when the file name is displayed (data is set to "1"), and flag data set when the document data in the file is confirmed and displayed (Data is “1”) is stored. Further, R
The AM 40 is provided with a buffer, a counter, a pointer, and the like for temporarily storing the calculation result calculated by the CPU 29.

Next, the routine of the tape printing control performed by the control device C of the tape printing apparatus 1 will be schematically described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the drawing, reference symbol Si (i = 1, 2, 3,...) Indicates each step. When the power is turned on by operating the power key, this control is started. First, the editing flag HF is set (“1” in the set state), the option display flag SF, the file name display flag MF, and the file document confirmation Flag KF
Is cleared (S1), and the document input screen is displayed on the display 5.
Is displayed (S2). In this state, it is determined whether or not there is a key input (S3). The determination is repeated until there is a key input (S3: NO), and if there is a key input (S3: Y)
ES), it is determined whether the input is a file key input (S4).

If the input is a file key (S4: YE
S), the process proceeds to a file option display process (see FIG. 6). If it is not a file key (S4: NO), it is determined whether or not a selection key is input (S6). If the input is a selection key (S6: YES), a file selection process (see FIG. 7)
(S7). Unless the selection key is input (S
6: NO), then it is determined whether or not the input is a cursor movement key (S8). If it is a cursor movement key (S8: YE
S), the process proceeds to the display switching process (see FIG. 8) (S
9). If it is not a cursor movement key (S8: NO), it is determined whether or not it is a print key input (S10). If it is a print key (S10: YES), the process proceeds to a printing process (see FIG. 9) (S11). If it is any other key input (S10: N
O), a process corresponding to the key is performed.

FIG. 6 shows a routine of the file option display processing control, and FIG. 10 shows a method of switching the file options. As shown in FIG. 10, in the input state (S51) on the display 5 in the edit mode, the file option is displayed by inputting the file key (S5).
2). There are three file options, “register”, “call”, and “delete”, and these options are switched by the cursor movement keys (S53, S54). Accordingly, in the control routine of the file option display process, as shown in FIG. 6, first, the edit flag HF is set ("1" in the set state) to determine whether the screen of the display 5 is the edit screen.
It is determined whether or not it has been performed (S13). Editing flag H
If F is set (S13: YES), the editing flag HF is cleared, the option display flag SF is set (S14), and the file options as shown in FIG. 10 are displayed (S15), and the next key input is performed. (S3).

If the editing flag HF is not set (S13: NO), it is determined that the file key is pressed during so-called file search during file selection or file content confirmation as shown in FIGS. Therefore, in this case, the buzzer sounds (S16), and a new key input is waited (S3).

FIG. 7 shows a routine for controlling the file selection process.
The switching to the file name display, the file document confirmation display, and the edit mode as shown in FIG. Therefore, FIG.
Before explaining the file selection process shown in FIG.
The display switching method shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a method of switching a file to be called. In the display state of the file call option among the file options (S55), by inputting a selection key, a file name is displayed, and the already registered file name is displayed (S56). The display of the file name is switched by operating the cursor movement key (S57, S58). FIG. 12 is a view showing a method of confirming the document data in the file. When the selection key is pressed in the file name display state (S59), the document data in the file is confirmed (S60). By operating the move key, the display character string on the display 5 is shifted by one character and displayed (S61, S62). FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a method of writing a file into the editing buffer 41 and setting the mode to the editing mode. In a document confirmation state in the file (S63), the data in the editing buffer 41 is input by inputting a selection key. Is cleared, and instead,
Document data corresponding to the displayed document on the display is written from the file memory 42 to the editing buffer 41,
The characters in the editing buffer 41 are displayed on the display, and the editing mode is set (S64).

In the file processing state shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the display state on the display is switched by input of a selection key. Therefore, the following control is performed in the file selection process control routine shown in FIG. still,
Although FIGS. 11 to 13 only describe the file call, the same applies to file registration and file deletion.

In the file selection processing control routine, if a selection key is input during file processing, as shown in FIG.
First, it is determined whether or not the option display flag SF is set ("1" in the set state) (S17). If the option display flag is set (S17: YE)
S) Since the selection key has been operated during the display of the options, the contents of the file search buffer 43 are cleared (S18), and the document contents of the first file among the plurality of files are read. (S1
9). Then, the option display flag SF is cleared, the file name display flag MF is set (S20), the file name of the file written in the search buffer 43 is displayed (S21), and the next key input is waited (S3). This state is shown in S56 of FIG.

At the time of selection key input, option display flag SF
Is determined not to be set (S17: N
O), it is determined whether or not the file name display flag MF is set ("1" in the set state) to determine whether or not the screen is the file name display screen (S22). When the file name display flag MF is set (S2
2: YES), since the selection key has been input during the display of the file name, the file name display flag MF is cleared, and the file document confirmation flag KF is set (S2).
3) Display the document data (S24), and wait for a key input (S3). This state is shown in S60 of FIG.

If it is determined that the file name display flag MF is not set when the selection key is input (S2
2: NO), it is determined whether or not the file document confirmation flag KF is set ("1" in the set state) in order to determine whether or not a selection key has been input on the file document confirmation screen (S25). If the file document confirmation flag KF is set (S25: YES), it means that the selection key has been entered on the file document confirmation screen, so the editing flag HF is set and the file document confirmation flag K is set.
F is cleared (S26), the document stored in the editing buffer 41 is cleared (S27), and the document of the file being displayed is written from the file memory 42 to the editing buffer 41 (S28). Then, the document data is displayed on the display 5 from the editing buffer 41 (S29), and waits for the next key input (S3). This state is shown in S64 of FIG. If the file document confirmation flag KF is not set in S25 (S25: NO), it means that the selection key has been input at the time of displaying the editing screen, and other processing is performed.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a routine of display switching processing control. The display switching process will be described with reference to FIG.
In this routine, first, it is determined whether or not the option display flag SF is set to determine whether or not the screen is the option display screen (S31).
1: YES), since the cursor movement key has been input in the option display state, the next option is displayed (S32), as shown in S52, the process proceeds from S52 to S53, and the next key input is waited for (S3). ). If the option display flag SF is not set (S31: NO), it is determined whether or not the file name display flag MF is set (S3).
3) If it is set (S33: YES), it means that the cursor movement key has been entered on the file name display screen, so the file search buffer is cleared (S3).
4) The next document in the file memory 42 is written into the search buffer 43 (S35). Then, the file name is displayed on the display (S36). This state is shown in FIG.
1 are shown in S56, 57 and 58.

If the file name display flag MF has not been set (S33: NO), it is determined whether or not the file document confirmation flag KF has been set (S37), and if it has been set (S37: YES). Since the cursor movement key has been input on the file document confirmation screen, the display character string is shifted by one character (S38). This processing state is referred to as S60, 61, 6 in FIG.
It is shown in FIG. If the file document confirmation flag KF is not set (S37: NO), it means that the cursor movement key has been input on the editing screen, and other processing is performed.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a routine for print processing control. The printing process will be described with reference to this drawing. In this routine, first, it is determined whether or not the editing flag HF is set (S40), and if it is set (S4).
0: YES), since the print key has been input on the edit screen, the data on the edit screen is printed.
In the process, first, a dot pattern data creation process for developing printing dot pattern data for printing document data in the editing buffer 41 into the printing buffer 44 is executed, and the dot pattern data read from the printing buffer 44 is printed. Output to the mechanism 4 and execute the printing process (S4
1) After the printing process is completed, wait for the next key input (S)
3).

If the editing flag HF is not set (S40: NO), it is determined whether or not the file name display flag MF is set (S42). If it is set (S42: YES), the file name is set. Since the print key is input during the display, a dot pattern data creation process for expanding the print dot pattern data for printing the document data in the file search buffer 43 into the print buffer 44 is executed. The dot pattern data read from 44 is output to the printing mechanism 4 to execute the printing process (S43). After the printing process is completed, the process waits for the next key input (S3). Even after the printing process is completed, the file name display screen is displayed. Therefore, if the cursor moving key is input from this state to display the next file name and the print key is operated (S10: YES), the displayed file is displayed again. The contents of the file name are printed.

If the file name display flag MF is not set (S42: NO), it is determined whether or not the file document confirmation flag KF is set (S44).
If it is set (S44: YES), it means that the print key has been input during the confirmation of the file document, so that the document contents of the file search buffer 43 are printed in the same manner as described above (S43). After the printing process is completed, the process waits for the next key input (S3). If the file document confirmation flag KF is not set (S44: NO), for example, FIG.
Since the file cannot be specified as in the case of the file option indicated by 0, in this case, the buzzer sounds and error processing is performed (S45).

As described above, in the printing process, during the file search, that is, during the display of the file name or the file document confirmation, the input of the print key directly prints the document in the search buffer 43. 41 is not erased. Also, during file search, the contents of the file can be printed by inputting the print key, so when printing multiple files continuously, there is no need to print after completing the file reading operation each time. Printing can be performed while searching, and the number of operations can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the search buffer is provided and the contents of the file are written therein. However, the structure may be such that the contents of the file in the file memory are directly written without providing the search buffer. Further, when a search buffer is provided, only one file content is written in the search buffer in the above embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of file contents may be written. Then, the contents of a plurality of files in a plurality of search buffers can be printed by one printing key operation, and the operation is further simplified.

[0035]

As described above, according to the tape printer according to the first aspect, the contents of the file in the file memory are read directly from the file memory instead of from the editing buffer. The contents of the file can be printed by inputting the print key without erasing the contents of the file buffer, and even when searching for a file, the file recall operation must be performed when printing multiple files continuously. There is no need to perform printing after completion, and printing can be performed while searching for a file, thereby reducing the number of operations.

Further, according to the tape printer of the present invention, since a plurality of file contents can be written in a search buffer provided separately from the editing buffer, a single print key operation can be performed. Thus, it is possible to print a plurality of file contents, and it is possible to expect an excellent effect that the operation is further simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram corresponding to claims 1 and 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the tape printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a printing mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control system of the tape printer.

FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart of a tape print control routine.

FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart of a routine for controlling file option display processing.

FIG. 7 is a schematic flowchart of a file selection process control routine.

FIG. 8 is a schematic flowchart of a display switching process control routine.

FIG. 9 is a schematic flowchart of a print processing control routine.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a file option switching method.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a method of switching a file to be called.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a method of checking document data in a file.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a method of writing a file into an editing buffer and setting the editing mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 tape printer 2 main body frame 3 keyboard 4 printing mechanism 5 display 6 tape storage cassette 7 printing tape 8 tape spool 9 ink ribbon 10 ribbon supply spool 11 take-up spool 12 double-sided tape 13 supply spool 14 joining roller 15 thermal head 16 platen Roller 17 Feed roller 41 Editing buffer 42 File memory 43 Search buffer 44 Print buffer 45 Flag memory

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 21/00 B41J 3/36 B41J 5/30 G06F 3/12

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An input means for inputting data of characters and symbols and various commands, an editing buffer for storing data of a document being input or edited, and displaying a document stored in the editing buffer. And a printing means for printing characters and symbols on a tape as a printing medium, wherein the data of the document stored in the editing buffer and a printing format input in association with the data are stored in the editing buffer. A file memory for storing a plurality of files consisting of data; and a print command input from an input unit during file search for selecting at least one file from the plurality of files in the file memory or checking a document of the selected file. Is read, the data of the file being searched is read directly from the file memory and printed by the printing means. Tape printing apparatus characterized by comprising: a means. 2. The tape printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said print reading means includes a search buffer capable of storing data of a plurality of files read from said file memory.